About the Government
![Picture](/uploads/4/0/4/7/40476217/659558897.jpg?187)
- The formal name of Australia is the Commonwealth of Australia
- Australia is both a representative democracy and constitutional monarchy where Queen Elizabeth II is considered the head of state of Australia
Federation
![Picture](/uploads/4/0/4/7/40476217/331056704.png?225)
The government of Australia was formed in 1901 when 6 different British colonies came together to form a new nation. They wrote down all the laws and regulations in the Australian Constitution. In a federal government the powers are divided into the central government and individual states. In Australia, the power is divided the Commonwealth government and the six state government. So not one part of the government has more control over the other otherwise known as a dictatorial government.
Federal Government
![Picture](/uploads/4/0/4/7/40476217/423190335.png)
The Australian Parliament is represented by the Queen Elizabeth, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Parliament is the part of the government that makes and passes laws that affect the entire country.
There are three parts in the Australian government:
There are three parts in the Australian government:
- The Legislature - (The Parliament) responsible for debating and on voting new laws to be introduced
- The Executive - (Australian Government) responsible for enacting and upholding the laws produced by the Legislature
- The Judiciary - Legal arm of the federal government and is responsible for enforcing the laws and deciding whether the other two arms (Legislature and Executive) are acting within their powers.
State and Territory Government
![Picture](/uploads/4/0/4/7/40476217/394136388.png?215)
Even though the states are bound together by forming the Commonwealth of Australia they still each have their power to make their own laws. The state government also have their own form of a legislature, executive and judiciary branch and their own constitution modeled after the United States government. Territories and states are two different things, territories are land within australia that hasn't been claimed by any state but a territory can become a state with the approval of the parliament and in certain cases a territory can make their own parliament and laws. But states are strictly defined by the Constitution.